Florida Governor Hopeful Fishback Vows to 'Pull the ...

By Leonardo Feldman and Jesus MesaShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

James Fishback, an ambitious political newcomer and investor, is mounting a disruptive campaign in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial race, pledging to outlaw the use of H-1B visa workers in state government and challenging Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Representative Byron Donalds.

In an interview with Newsweek, Fishback pitched his nascent , social-media driven campaign around “affordability” for Florida families, a strategy that drew national attention during the recent off-year election with the successful mayoral run of Zohran Mamdani in New York City. Now Fishback is attempting a similar playbook from the right.“My number one goal as a candidate to succeed Ron DeSantis is to make life more affordable,” he told Newsweek. “That means making it easier to buy groceries, afford a home, and get a well-paying job."

Fishback, the 30-year-old CEO of investment firm Azoria Capital, is launching a hardline, longshot primary challenge aimed at corporate-aligned Republicans and establishment figures he claims have lost touch with everyday Floridians. His message, he said, is not just against Democrats but also the donor-class Republicans he accuses of betraying the party’s working-class base.

“They agree to protect the Second Amendment. They agree that, as I do as a Christian, that life begins at conception. They agree that they don't want drag queens talking to kids at the library. That's what most conservatives believe,” Fishback said, describing what he saw as a previously homogenous GOP field. “Nowadays, in this election in particular between Congressman Donalds and I, the differences couldn't be more stark.”

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To the Right of Trump on Immigration

Fishback has been a consistent supporter of the president, recently gaining national attention for being among the first to propose a plan to send stimulus checks to Americans using savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But he has also become critical of some of Trump’s recent positions. “I support President Trump. I don’t always support every decision he makes,” he said. On immigration, he specifically pushed back on Trump’s support for high-skilled visa programs.

The son of a Colombian immigrant, Fishback is now calling for a complete moratorium on legal immigration—a stance he distinguishes from prior eras of migration. “Immigration 30, 40, 50 years ago is very different than immigration today,” Fishback said, contrasting his mother’s arrival in the U.S. with the contemporary immigration landscape.

“She did not get food stamps. She did not get an Obama phone. She did not get free health care. She did not steal a job.”

Fishback has centered much of his campaign on opposing the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields. While the program is federally administered, Fishback has vowed to target its use in Florida state government and punish companies that rely on it.

“That is going to be unacceptable,” he said. “And they're going to be hearing from me directly and they're going to pay massive, massive fines.”

Fishback also opposes expanded offshore drilling, another break from Republican orthodoxy. “I believe that Floridians don't want to go walk on the coastline of the Gulf of America or the Atlantic Ocean and see oil rigs that are, one, very unsightly and an eyesore, and two, could threaten our natural environment and our tourism,” he said, describing himself as “unapologetically a conservationist.”

He also criticized Donalds’ position on technology infrastructure. “I'm not going to allow the construction of AI data centers that have already been proven in Tennessee and Georgia to jack up our electric bills,” Fishback said. DeSantis has also come out hard against data centers recently, breaking with the White House on its AI policy.

Financial Ties and Political Allies

Fishback’s stance has sparked pushback from fellow Republicans, including Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a Trump ally who accused him of aligning with fringe figures on the right like Nick Fuentes. When asked about Fine's criticism, Fishback said “Americans and Floridians in particular are sick and tired of the name calling.” (Fishback has called Donalds, who is Black, DEI Donalds and told The Bulwark that his opponent is a "slave" to his donors.)

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He also addressed criticism about his past investments in companies like Microsoft and Meta, both of which have used H-1B labor. “I’ve told these companies you either pull the plug on your H-1B scam or we’re going to be pulling the plug on investing in your company going forward,” Fishback told Newsweek, referring to past investments in Microsoft and Meta.

He has also expanded this scrutiny to corporate diversity policies, with Azoria divesting from 38 companies this year. The firm managed a "Meritocracy ETF" that that tracks the S&P 500, less several dozen stocks deemed too woke. That means the exclusion of many of the Big Tech companies that have powered Wall Street's bull run.

Though Donalds leads in early polls, his support his soft. Fishback dismissed Donalds' support as outdated. “The poll you mentioned was done weeks ago before I was a declared candidate,” he said. “There hasn't been any poll that's been done since I've entered the race.”

Fishback acknowledged that he has never voted in a Republican primary but now sees the August GOP contest as the real battleground. “Most Floridians don't have to vote in primaries because the candidates are so darn similar,” he said. “In this election... the differences couldn’t be more stark.”

Asked whether he expects support from DeSantis, Fishback said he hopes to earn it. “It would be the honor of a lifetime to have the governor and the first lady cast their ballot for me,” he said. “I'm going to do everything I can to win their votes.” He also said he informed Trump directly of his plans to run.

“I texted the president the other night before I made my announcement. I let him know, with all due respect, that I'm going to be entering this race, that Florida is Trump country. And I'm going to be taking his advice, which is to leave it all on the field.”

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